Watching Democracy Burn, Part 3
Part 1: https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016235099
Part 2: https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016235100
In How Democracies Die, political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that there are three strategies would-be authoritarians—from Juan Peron in Argentina, to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, to Silvia Berlusconi in Italy, to Vladimir Putin in Russia—have employed in their efforts to consolidate power: capturing the referees, sidelining key players and changing the rules.
In his first year as president, Donald Trump attempted all three.
Trump tried to capture the referees—purging independent agencies and officials of the disloyal—by firing James Comey, attacking judges who ruled against him, shaming Jeff Sessions over his Russia recusal and so on. He sought to sideline key players in the democratic process through attacks on the press, against media owners, and an attempt—overturned by federal courts—to deny sanctuary cities federal funds. And he tried to change the rules by urging the Senate to eliminate the filibuster (it did so for Supreme Court confirmations) and creating a Commission on Electoral Integrity, a transparent attempt to crack down on the phantom problem on “fraud” through voter ID laws and other methods that suppress minority turnout.
Trump talked more than he acted, Levitsky and Ziblatt write. But his instincts were clear; his ambitions, however, were checked by his unpopularity, ineptitude and the unwillingness of key party elders to play along.
Read more: https://indyweek.com/news/soapboxer/watching-democracy-burn-part-3/
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